


dancing in the moonlight

by challaudaku



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:01:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26144533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/challaudaku/pseuds/challaudaku
Summary: “You dance, Crutch?”“Um,” Crutchie says, because he’s not sure how to reply to that.
Relationships: Albert DaSilva/Crutchie
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	dancing in the moonlight

Albert’s digging his toes into Crutchie’s leg. Crutchie wonders, faintly, if it’s because he thinks Crutchie can’t feel it. He’s doing it to Crutchie’s bad leg, after all. And while the feeling in that leg  _ is _ faint, he can still feel the pressure Albert’s putting onto it.

Crutchie gives in, and glances over at Albert. He wonders if Albert’s actively doing it, or it’s just out of instinct, because Albert isn’t looking up at Crutchie at all, instead reading a leftover paper from that morning. They’re sitting on Crutchie’s bed at the lodge, and Crutchie wants to get up and take a walk, but he also likes the presence of Albert there, so he doesn’t really want to move. 

“They’s openin’ up a new dance hall,” Albert says out loud, flipping the newspaper. “You dance, Crutch?”

“Um,” Crutchie says, because he’s not sure how to reply to that. “I can’t,” he says, after Albert glances up, eyebrows raised.

“Why not?” Albert asks. Crutchie, for lack of a better answer, looks down at his bad leg, where Albert’s toes are still resting. He’s silent for a second, frowning, before asking, “‘Cause of your leg?” 

Crutchie nods, and Albert laughs at him, straight out laughs at him. He’s not sure what he’s supposed to reply to that.

“That don’t matter,” Albert says, shifting around on the bed so that they’re shoulder to shoulder. “Anyone can dance, no matter what.”

“I thought standin’ was a requirement for dancin’,” Crutchie says, and something slightly bitter creeps into his voice. He’s happy with his life, but sometimes it’s annoying that he can’t do basic things that  _ everyone _ can do.

“Nah,” Albert says, his voice just a little bit over a whisper. They’re both quiet for a second, before Albert stands up and holds out his hand. “C’mon.”

Crutchie shakes his head, staring at Albert’s outstretched hand. He’s pretty sure that whatever Albert wants him to do isn’t going to be great.

“ _ C’mon _ ,” Albert insists, shaking his hand in front of Crutchie’s face. Crutchie’s tempted to just refuse, but he knows that Albert probably isn’t going to do something  _ really _ stupid, so he accepts Albert’s hand and stands up, grabbing his crutch from where it was leaning against his bed.

Albert leads him along, through the room, and Crutchie is vaguely aware that he continues to grasp Crutchie’s hand. Albert leads him to the fire escape, and they go up the few flights until they reach the roof. It’s empty, and it takes a second for Crutchie’s eyes to adjust to the change in lighting, but Albert is bathed in moonlight and grinning at Crutchie and still holding his hand. It makes Crutchie’s heart, for some odd reason, skip a beat.

“We’s dancing,” Albert says, as if it’s all done and decided.

“I can’t dance,” Crutchie says. Did Albert seriously  _ miss the point _ of their entire conversation? Albert lets out a laugh that cuts through the clear night air. “It ain’t a laughing matter!” Crutchie says, extracting his hand from Albert’s to smack his bare arm.

“ _ C’mon _ ,” Albert says once again, grabbing Crutchie’s hand back. He tugs at Crutchie’s crutch, but Crutchie holds on to it. He’s not entirely sure if Albert knows that he  _ can’t walk without it _ . “Trust me,” Albert says. 

Crutchie isn’t entirely sure he does. He trusts Albert with a lot of things, but whatever Albert wants him to do right now… he’s not sure he trusts that.

“I gotcha,” Albert says, moving the hand not gripping Crutchie’s hand to grab his waist. “Grab my shoulder.”

Crutchie hesitates for a few moments, but he grabs Albert’s shoulder with his free hand and lets his crutch fall to the floor. He knows that he’s leaning almost all of his weight on Albert now, but Albert doesn’t make any sign he even feels it. 

“We’re dancin’,” Albert insists. Crutchie makes a little choked noise in his throat, but he stays gripping Albert’s shoulder and hand. “Step forward with your left foot,” he urges, and Crutchie can feel Albert move one of his own feet.

Crutchie hesitates again, but then he feels Albert’s hand squeeze his waist. He presses down on Albert’s shoulder and slides his foot forward awkwardly.

“Good,” Albert says, his voice soft in a way that Crutchie doesn’t think he’s ever heard before. He shifts his foot and then says, “Okay, now your other foot.”

Crutchie moves his bad leg forward, still stumbling, but he looks at Albert’s face, and Albert has a soft smile on his face as he looks down at their legs, nothing like his usual grin.

“Okay, again,” Albert says, still glancing down. Crutchie blinks and makes himself stop staring at Albert. Albert moves his legs and Crutchie moves his with him. They start slow, but after a few minutes, they shuffle along a little bit faster.

“You’s dancin’,” Albert points out.

Crutchie realizes that, yeah, he’s  _ dancing _ . There’s no music, but he’s dancing along with Albert. Crutchie looks back at Albert’s face, just taking in how it looks in the moonlight, but he gets distracted and stumbles. 

Albert catches him before he can fall on the floor, and Crutchie breathes out, “I’m done, I think.”

Albert nods and slowly lowers Crutchie to the floor. He steps away for a second to get Crutchie’s crutch and bring it over before sitting next to Crutchie. Crutchie is very aware of how close they are to each other. 

“So?” Crutchie asks, his voice a whisper. “Did that live up to your expectations?”

“Yeah,” Albert says, grinning easily at Crutchie. “I’d love to do it again sometime.”

Crutchie nods, and he finds himself actually thinking that he would dance again, if it’s with Albert.

He’s not sure what makes him do it. Maybe it’s the stars glittering above them. Maybe it’s the way Albert’s face glows a little bit silver in the moonlight.

Crutchie leans forward and kisses Albert.

When Crutchie pulls away, Albert is smiling. His smile is lit silver by the moon’s glow.

**Author's Note:**

> auction, day 8, auction 1, dancing in the moonlight (1004 words by gdocs)  
> Character Appreciation - Dialogue: "It is not a laughing matter."; Record Collection - Know You Now: Write about doubting someone; Bingo - Fixing Fanon - Pick something you don't like that you see a lot in fanon, and fix it (please note what you're fixing though) (crutchie never really being a love interest); Showtime - The Nicest Kids in Town - (action) Dancing; Amber's Attic - (trait) charismatic; Bex's Basement - Cranky's Drop Tower: Write about falling (Bonus); Scamander's Case - (action) guiding someone; Film Festival - (action) dancing; Lyric Alley - And still I've let you go; TV Spree - Word: Expectations; The Forecast Says - 26th. Rain: Falling over; EnTitled - The One Where Ross and Rachel... You know - Write about moving a relationship forward (doesn't have to be sex)


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